No water, power for ‘dangerous’ buildings

Taking a step ahead, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has ordered officials to disconnect electricity and water supply to buildings that the authority has listed as dangerous. The residents of these buildings have not vacated them even after they were issued repeated notices.

The Mhada has declared 11 buildings as ‘extremely dangerous’ and unfit to be lived in during monsoon. The residents of these buildings were asked to vacate the place immediately. Out of the 11 buildings, residents of two have approached the Bombay high court for getting a stay order on the directions given by the Mhada.

Four of the 11 structures on the list – Esplanade Mansion at Fort, 44-46 Kazi Street, 39 Chowpatty sea face, and 55-57 Nagdevi Cross Road have been in the list of most dangerous building for the past several years.

“We have issued notices to nine buildings as two have already approached the Bombay high court. Subsequently, we will disconnect water and electric supply to these buildings after giving a 24-hour intimation to the residents,” said a Mhada official.

Every year the list is drawn up from Mhada’s annual pre-monsoon survey. Moreover, Mhada has made provisions for tenants to shift to transit camps but most are reluctant to do so as they fear they will never be able to return.

There are presently 14,500 such buildings in the city, of which, over 5,000 are under private ownership, and the question of Mhada declaring them as ‘dilapidated’ does not arise. Such buildings have been asked to conduct their own periodic structural audits.